Main menu

User menu

Amazon Payments and US-only

We get a lot of questions on two related topics: why you need a US bank account and address to start a Kickstarter project, and why Kickstarter uses Amazon Payments to process credit cards instead of PayPal or someone else. Both are meaty subjects, so let’s dig in.

As you know, every Kickstarter project has a funding goal and deadline, both of which are determined by the project creator. When that deadline is reached, one of two things happens:

If the project has met or exceeded its funding goal, all backers’ credit cards are instantly charged and funds go directly to the project creator.

If the project has not met its funding goal, all pledges are immediately canceled. And that’s it.

Amazon Payments is the only processor that currently supports these requirements, and currently Amazon Payments does not support non-US recipients — meaning that you need a US bank account and address to launch a project on Kickstarter. (You can pledge to projects from anywhere — it’s only project creation that’s limited.) Many of us have been using PayPal for so long we assume that it can support any process, but it can’t. (We’re keeping a close eye on PayPal’s new Adaptive Payments service which hopes to support these types of transactions for non-US residents.)

Allowing international project creators is our #1 feature request, and we hear it loud and clear. We promise we’re working on it.

Comments

I live in the US and I have an Amazon account. I have been trying to verify my bank account with Amazon for days. One foul up after the other. Not a good service at all. I wish PayPal would work for you guys because Amazon is really awful. I hope someday soon it will get verified so I can start my project. I'm very frustrated right now.

I would also be very interested in any updates you might have. I would love to start a project on kickstarter, but as the situation is today, i will have to go with one of the other crowd funding pages...

I have done everything right at my end to get this account verified. On my Amazon account page there is nothing outstanding to do - but according to Kickstarter we're not verified - I am SO FRUSTRATED! I need to launch the project and I am not getting the help I need here from Kickstarter. Simply not responding, Kickstarter, really isn't a good option.

The thought that Kickstarter is actually "working on it" is naive and absurd.

Easy solution: Keep Amazon Payments, add in a second option:
Step 1: Design a widget for Kickstarter to authorize a credit card for the backing amount. If project succeeds, card is charged. If project fails, authorization is cancelled. This is not a huge thing to do, as there are a plethora of options similar to this out there already, never mind the option of getting one of their own programmers to do it.

Step 2: Kickstarter would collect the funds and make a payment via PayPal to the registered user for the amount collected, minus their fee. This involves some further accounting and creating a PayPal account.

While both of these cost some extra $$, Kickstarter can easily cover the cost by increasing their commission on successful projects. After all, we're talking THE REST OF THE WORLD here. Kickstarter is by far the biggest and best of these kinds of sites and to think that another 6.5 BILLION people wouldn't increase it's profit margin is just silly.

In my humble opinion, the idea that Kickstarter is actually "working on it" is naive. No company can spend 2 years (the time I've been following...) and still not have a solution. In addition, the above explanation is terrible. All it tells me is that they are watching PayPal. No analysis of other options (Google Checkout), no explanation of higher costs, no indication of whether Amazon Payments and PayPal are even mutually exclusive or not. This is not indicative of honesty.

Seriously??? Amazon Payments Is BULLSHIT. YOU NEED PAYPAL. For the amount of money raised from projects by kickstarter and amazon. I'm about to just make it myself. If I have to shell out 500 bucks for crappy slow service I'll just do it on my own and cut you(Kickstarter) out.

2 years working on a solution for non-us residents... Whatcha been doing all that time? And you do realise that amazon payments are available in the uk? (and probably loads of other countries as well).

Please could you provide an update for all of us international folks so we know where you're at with this? I know it's probably a lot less simple than many of the other people commenting here suggest, but it's understandable that they're a bit miffed when you're being so opaque and uncommunicative on the matter. I'm sure a quick blog post update would go a long way - after all, isn't that what you keep telling us?

I suspect you've got you hands full with the organisation as it is. It's - quite justifiably - been a humungously massive success that must be a monster to manage, but I sincerely hope you'll go the extra mile and open it up to non-us countries very soon, formulating a creative solution for whatever issues are still preventing it. I genuinely believe the world will be a better place for it and you'll get the chance to make some serious wonga at the same time.

A little, teeny ickle wee blog post update? Please? Is that too much to ask?

I have had an account with Amazon since 2001 or 2002 and now when I tried to get verified for my launch, it said, some part of Amazon Pay "has been disabled" Not by me! Now I wait for them to email me so I can launch! argh I figured it would be PayPal on here, but didn't know all the particulars.

do you people have an ETA on your non US citizen accountability? This is so lame its only for US citizens. Its just typical USA showing it doesn't give a whiff of a dog's arse about anyone but themselves.

I'm the founder and CEO of a US based corporation.
My company has a US bank account, an EIN number, a US office.
My company has an amazon payment account.
But personally I'm not a US citizen. I don't have a US state-issued ID. And since you put in your requirement that you need a state-issued ID, I can't submit a project.
How is this linked to amazon? Why asking for a state-issued ID?

Stripe also allows you to save credit cards and then charge them later by simply putting in the credit card - no stripe account required.
Although a) it doesn't have the same ability to authorize only a certain amount
and b) it also is only for US accounts at this time.
I thought paypal let you authorize a payment and THEN you can choose to charge it?

VERY unhappy about this situation. I can promise you that I will NEVER make an Amazon payment account. Why should I? I have a perfectly good Paypal account with much more flexibility (ask anyone in these comments).

I wanted to make a significant contribution to a project I care about but now that won't happen. Which means you get NOTHING.

The project's that I have backed show it goes to "Kickstarter, Paladin, LLC"
With a reference showing what I have agreed to fund.

When the project is successful the funding's is sent to the project owner minus the kick start fees.
This seem to be the only time that the a person need's a Amazon account.
So could the funds not be just deposit from the kick starter merchant account to you company holding account
Then the funds sent via pay pal or international bank transfer etc.
With any fees associated with the transfer deducted.
I would even be happy to pay an additional handling fee if required.
So that kick starter can verify the project owner (in advance if needed)

I only want to *fund* projects, but even that doesn't seem to work from Germany where I live. I always get the message that this functionality is disabled (on the Amazon Payments page). I can't be the only one having this problem? :(

Why won't you take my money! I'm salivating at the thought of getting my teeth into another adventure game but I've found Amazon absolutely terrible to deal with if anything goes wrong - so I no longer have an account!